We just had our newest worker for the season visit. His name is Zac. He will be coming from Pennsilvania next week. He is a friend of Phil's. Phil will be with us for his second season until August when he plans to travel. Katie will be finishing nursing school in two weeks and join the gardens part time and also add on to her new house"Tardis" to have Christoff join her in it. He currently lives in the Log House. My son Seba also plans to work in the gardens this year to spend time with me and to make money for college (He probably thinks of making the money and I am thinking of spending time with him). He does not like the heat or black flies, it is gonna be interesting, so far he is in good spirits, working hard. We also will have two of his friends join in later on. This is a big crew to get all the intense bed preperation, planting weeding and harvest done. Most of them will be part time. Your CSA $$ help local people to have a meaningful job and bring in new young people to the North Country.

We had a busy few days between the rains to prepare beds for more spinach, mixed greens, peas and potatoes. Our backs are tight as we have to get into shape again. We love a hot shower at the end of the day. This week I will be starting cucumbers, zucchinis and melons. I am not sure how to fit them into the already full greenhouse. They can be stacked high for the first week until they germinate and want light. First peas and spinach and carrots and beets are up and looking good. I had a concert on Sunday and did not use the dry day to plant and yesterday we prepared a lot of beds, but did not get the second planting in jet, I hope later this week will work out.

On the pet talk: the guinea pigs are doing well Truffle can eat again after her teeth got clipped we had to feed her kale and carrot apple smoothies for a week. She is a skinny pig. Nellie on the other hand is rather plump and heavy. She has recently decided that we are not so scary after all and lets us hold her for long times and talks, purrs to us. We often sit in the evenings and hold a guinea pig while watching a movie on the computer.

Last week we got a call from some students in town that had one week old ducklings in their dorm and couldn't keep them any longer. Phil and Brigid took them in that night and now we have very fast growing Peking ducklings in the Main House living room, living in a kiddie pool with a wire cage over it so Oliver, Katie's cat doesn't eat them. It is rather odd to eat dinner and hear these sloshy, splashing sounds from the corner where the ducklings slurp their food while we are putting your own food in our mouths. When the weather is nice they will get to be outside and the chickens visit them from outside their duckling cage.

I am sitting in the office and I have my hood on, I am cold, because I did not make a fire yet. I hope you are doing all well. If you can, please help to grow our CSA to up to 80 members. i am attaching the info and sign up sheet again. We will have an open house and questions answered for new people at the end of May. Because of the coming construction and limited market parking I am still debating if we should switch the Canton pick up from the market to someones porch or garage. What do you think? I would love to hear from you. Going to make a fire and hot tea, love Dulli